[Robotic-Assisted Surgery for Renal Cancer and Cancer of the Renal Pelvis and Ureter].

ABSTRACT

Recently, minimally invasive urological surgery has become increasingly common as years pass, with the rapid development of laparoscopic, minimal wound, mono-sectional, and robot-assisted surgeries. Robot-assisted surgery's indication for renal, renal pelvis, and ureter cancers has been expanded, and in Japan, robot-assisted partial nephrectomy(RAPN)has been covered by insurances since 2016. Additionally, robot-assisted radical nephrectomy(RARN)and robot-assisted nephroureterectomy(RANU)were covered by insurances in 2022. Compared to that of conventional laparoscopic surgery, robot-assisted surgery offers many advantages, such as 3-dimensional magnified vision, highly flexible forceps manipulation with anti-shake function, and improved dexterity. RARN and RANU are widely used mainly in Western countries, and their effectiveness is being reported. Since RARN and RANU require precise vascular manipulation and often, accurate lymph node dissection, we believe that the surgical robot's characteristics will be extremely useful in these procedures. Therefore, it is expected that RAPN will become similarly popular as RAPN in Japan. In this study, we will review the current status, surgical results, indications, and future prospects of RARN and RANU, which are newly covered by insurances in Japan.